LSU dominates every facet, pounds Washington 41-3

LSU running back Alfred Blue (4) rushes past Washington safety Will Shamburger (13) for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

BATON ROUGE, La. - Saturday: No. 3 LSU 41, Washington 3

Next Saturday: Portland St. at Washington

Time: 1 p.m.

TV: FX

Radio: 950 AM/102.9 FM

For the span of about a minute, the Washington Huskies looked like they were capable of playing with the No. 3 LSU Tigers.

A fumble recovery on the game's opening kickoff led to a field goal and Washington's only points of the game.

Nothing good followed after that fleeting moment.

LSU dominated and decimated the Huskies in every facet of the game, rolling to a decisive 41-3 win at a packed Tiger Stadium.

"I think it's a pretty clear to the naked eye that's a pretty good football team that really got after us," head coach Steve Sarkisian said. "They're number three in the country for a reason."

Washington came into the game a 24-point underdog and looked every bit of it.Any hopes of an upset died in the first quarter.

The numbers were ugly.

Washington managed just 183 yards of total offense compared to LSU's 437.

Washington was held to 26 yards rushing on 24 carries, while LSU rushed for 242 yards on 52 carries.

Keith Price completed only 17-of-36 passes for 158 yards with an interception.

Beyond the numbers, LSU dominated the game physically.

"We were able to run when we wanted to and able to throw when we needed to," LSU head coach Les Miles said.

It was quite the opposite for Washington.

The Huskies couldn't do anything on the ground and only had a minimal success in the air.

Washington's best moment came on the game's opening kickoff. Taz Stevenson drilled LSU's Odell Beckham Jr. on the return, knocking the ball out of his hands. UW's Thomas Tutogi recovered the loose ball and gave the Huskies possession on the LSU's 20-yard line.

A dropped pass on second down by Bishop Sankey killed the touchdown hopes and Washington had to settle for a 34-yard field goal from Travis Coons. The 3-0 lead would represent the high point for the Huskies in the game.

"It was great getting that turnover right off the start on the kickoff," Sarkisian said. "We had a couple plays on second and third down that we just couldn't execute."

LSU just rolled without even playing particularly well. The Tigers had costly penalties and dropped passes and still managed to seem completely in control.

The Tigers scored four of their next five possessions in the first half, turning the game lopsided in a hurry.

Alfred Blue put LSU on the board with a 21-yard touchdown, going untouched into the end zone. The Tigers added a 1-yard touchdown from Michael Copeland and settled for a pair of Drew Allemen field goals to take a 20-3 halftime lead.

LSU was content to just use its ground game, rolling up 102 yards of rushing and controlling the football.

Between its own mistakes and LSU's stifling defense, the Huskies offense was nonexistent in the first half. Washington managed just five first downs — two coming from penalties — and just a total of 70 yards of offense. The ground game produced negative 11 yards and if not for Price's 20-yard pass to Kevin Smith, it would have been much worse.

"We couldn't move the ball," Price said. "We didn't throw the ball well. We didn't run the ball well. We have to fix it next week."

It was so lopsided, a good portion of the 92,804 fans that crammed into the stadium chose to stay in the massive tailgate area for the second half.

"That's how LSU plays," LSU running back Alfred Blue said. "Everyone knows that when you into Tiger Stadium, LSU is going to play dominant."

Washington's start to the second half wasn't quite as upbeat as the start of the game. A meek three and out gave LSU the ball back immediately, and the Tigers needed just five plays to score again. A 24-yard completion to Beckham from Zach Mettenberger set up Kenny Hilliard's 4-yard leaping touchdown plunge.

An interception from Price gave LSU the ball back immediately. Mettenberger added to his numbers, hitting wide-open Kadron Boone on a 32-yard touchdown pass.

Washington made past the 50-yard line and into LSU territory just three times in the game. And with the exception of the opening series, it never got closer than LSU's 36-yard line.Perhaps more disturbing is that the offense has failed to score a touchdown since the first quarter of the San Diego State game.

"We need to find our identity offensively so we can find some continuity and rhythm," Sarkisian said. "What can we go to lean on when things go astray?"

Washington will try to get things figured out with a home game.

"At the end of it all, this one of 13 games," Sarkisian said. "There's plenty of things we need to learn from. There's things we have to fix and fix quickly. The goal now is to go win next Saturday."